Vestibule-curtain holder



may 131.9%. I 1,4941% W. A. BYRD 'YESTIBULE CURTAIN HOLDER Filed Nov. 20, 1923 ATTO R N EY INVENTOR Patented May 13, 1924.

cameo awnes means PATENT mice WALTER A. BYRD, F VICKSBURG," MISSISSIPPI, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO GEORGE CLINTON CHRISTY,'.0F VICKSBURG, MISSISSIPPI.

VESTIBULE-CURTAIN HOLDER.

Application filed November 2 0, 1923. Serial No. 675,881.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WALTER citizen of the United States, residing at Vicksburg, in the county of lVarren and State of Mississippi, have invented a new and useful vestibule-Curtain, Holder, of which the following'isa specification, I

" This invention relates to an'improved def vice whichis especially'adapted for securing curtains, suchas are usedin connection with the vestibules of passenger trains v t In the most approved type of passenger car, it is customary to 'provide thevestibule at each end of the car with a fiexibly jointed enclosure, so as to make the passage from one car to the next car safeand dust proof. The vestibule arrangement is covered on each side with a curtain attached "to 'a vertically disposed spring held roller mounted on one of the ears, and held in extended position by a holder on the adjacent car when coupled thereto. In the construction used at present, this holderconsists of a hook which engages the curtain handle, and when the cars are uncoupled it is, ofcourse, necessary to uncouple the handle from the-hook to prevent the curtain from being torn. It is, therefore apparent thataany neglect in uncoupling the curtain before uncoupling the cars will prove disastrous tothe cu'rtain, and there is also a possibilityfof the car'becoming uncoupled accidentally" "through failure of some part of the coupler' draft mechanism. 1 1- The object of the present invention is to construct an improved holder for securing the handle of the curtain, which will effect an automatic release whenever the cars are uncoupled in the manner referred to above. More specifically the invention includes spring held means, which will firmly hold the curtain in extended position while the cars are coupled, yet without any possibility of tearing the curtain, which will permit all necessary movement of the curtain handle to meet the various relative movements of the cars inmotion, and which will readily effect the release of the curtain when the cars are separated.

The various specific features ofconstruction which constitute the invention will be more fully explained in connection with the accompanying drawing, which shows the preferred form thereof.

A. Brim, a a

In the drawing: Flgure 1 1s a side elevation showing the invention 1n its operative position.

H Figure 2 is a horizontalsection'looking upwardly from the line 22 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is atransverse section taken on the line 33 of Figure 2. i

,The curtain 5, in connection with which theinvention-is'used, is provided at its outer edge with a rod 6, about which the curtain 1s secured' One or more handles 7 are provlded for manipulating the curtain, and

eachhandleis provided with a semi-cylindrical member 8 adapted to fit around one side of the rod 6, while a complementary semi-cylindrical member9 cooperates therewith to clamp the handle to the curtain, the

member 9 being provided with an extension 10 at'each end, which is secured to the handle by means of screws 11 or the like. When the cars are coupled together, the curtain is drawn out by means of the handle 7, which is secured adjacent the post 12 of the next car. :In carrying out the invention, a

securingrnember is provided which includes a base plate 13 which may be attached to the-post 12by means of screws 14. The end of this, base plate, which extends toward the curtain, has a portion thereof struck up, as shown, at 15,'to-form aninclined face on .which the handle 7 is adapted to rest. This struck up p0rtion,15.is connected to theadjac'entflat portion 16 of the base plate by an integral 'web 17, *whichprovides reinforcement and holds the inclined face of the plate rigidly in position. The intermediate portion of the base plate 13 is provided at its sides with upstanding opposed ears 18, which support a pin or bolt 19. A cooperating clip 20 is provided with downturned ears 21, which are received between the cars 18, and are journaled on the pin or bolt 19 which forms a fulcrum about which the clip may rock. The clip 20 is provided with an inwardly inclined portion 22, opposed to the inclined portion 15 of the base plate and meeting the same at its extremity. In rear of the fulcrum pin 19, the base plate 13 and clip 20 are formed with opposed bosses 23 and 24, which form seats for re ceiving the opposite ends of an expansile coiled spring 25, which normally maintains the extremities of the inclined portions 15 and 22 in contact and embracing the handle 7 between them. The rear portion of the clip 20 is preferably formed with a thumb cavity 26 for convenience in opening the clip when the handle 7 is being inserted. The operating end of the clip may also be formed with a downwardly curved end 27 to form a safety guard.

It is to be noted that the base plate 13 and clip 20 are of rugged construction, so as not to be easily broken, and the handle 7 is of sufficient length to provide the necessary vertical play to allow for the relative movement of the cars while the train is in motion. The spring 25 is strong enough so that the extremities of the inclined portions 15 and 22 are always normally in contact with each other, and the inner faces of these portions are uniformly inclined, so that when the cars are uncoupled the handle 7 is easily drawn outwardly between them, without any possibility of twisting or injuring the curtain.

WVhile I have shown and described the specific features of one form in which the invention may be embodied, it is to be understood that this is merely illustrative, and

that various modifications may be made therein without departing from the salient features of the invention, or in anywise impairing the function thereof.

WVhat is claimed is:

1. The combination with a curtain having a handle projecting from its outer edge, of a relatively fixed member adjacent to which the edge of the curtain is to be held, a base member secured to said fixed member, a clip pivotally connected with the base member, a spring normally holding the front end of the clip in contact with the base member, said clip and base member having opposed faces inclined inwardly toward their extremities to embrace and yieldably hold the handle between them. H

.2. A device of the character described, comprising a base plate having means for securing it in fixed relation to a support, a clip pivotally connected to the base member and having its inner face at one end uniformly inclined inwardly, said base plate having a portion uniformly inclined inwardly and opposed to said inclined face of the clip, and spring means normally holding the extremities of said inclined faces in contact with each other.

3. A device of the character described,

comprising a base plate having means for securing it in fixed relation to a support and having a pair of spaced upturned ears, a hinge pin mounted in said ears, a clip having downturned ears pivoted on said pin remainder of the base plate by reinforcing webs, and spring means normally holding the extremities of said inclined faces in contact with each other.

4. The combination with a curtain having a handle projecting from its outer edge, of a relatively fixed member adjacent to which the edge of the-vcurta-in is to be held, a base member secured to said fixed member and projectingbeyond the same in the direction of the curtain, a clip pivotally connected with thebase member, a spring normally holding the front end of the clip in contact with the base member and embracing and retaining the handle between the clip and base member, the contacting portions of the clipand base member being less than the width of the base member and of the handle. 7 e

In testimony, that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto aflixed my signature.

WALTER A. BYRD.

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